The Queen of Nu-Metal herself—Amy Lee, frontwoman for the legendary rock band Evanescence—just dropped a wholesome little secret during a recent interview, and honestly? It’s everything. While the headline might scream life-changing, it’s more of a gentle reminder that even rock royalty needs an emotional escape now and then. And yes, that escape just so happens to be a late ’90s video game classic.
Let’s set the stage: Evanescence’s latest track, Afterlife, recently landed on the soundtrack for Netflix’s upcoming Devil May Cry animated series (clearly, they have great taste). And while that alone would’ve been enough to get fans hyped, Amy Lee casually dropped a bombshell of nostalgia that made everyone pause mid-scroll.
“I am a huge Legend of Zelda fan, for life,” she said.
“Ocarina of Time was my first RPG experience.”
Same, Amy. Same.
And it doesn’t stop there—she still plays it.
“I still play it from time to time to calm my heart down and put me to sleep.”
Cue the collective “awww” from fans and fellow gamers everywhere. Because let’s be honest—we all have that game. The one video game we go back to when we need comfort, grounding, or just a moment of peace in the middle of life’s chaos. You’ve pictured it in your head just reading this, haven’t you? (Don’t worry; we did, too!)
Let’s squash the stereotype now: video games aren’t just button-mashing distractions. For many of us, they’re legit tools for emotional regulation. And if that sounds dramatic, you’ve probably never booted up Stardew Valley after a meltdown or quietly fished in Animal Crossing while processing your entire life.
Amy Lee’s pick? Ocarina of Time. The sweeping score, the low-stakes side quests, the feeling of exploring a wide-open world with nothing but a sword and a sense of purpose? Yeah. That’s the kind of comfort that sticks with you. It’s not surprising that it became her go-to wind-down ritual.
But here’s the part that really hits: she carries that love with her—literally.
Amy revealed that her only tattoo is the heart meter from the Zelda games. You know, the little red hearts in the HUD that tell you how close you are to death—or full health. It’s iconic, subtle, and deeply meaningful. A quiet tribute to a game that helped her through tough times. Maybe still does.
In a world still stuck arguing about whether games “rot your brain,” Amy Lee stands as a beautiful contradiction: a rock legend, a gamer, and someone who openly uses games for calm, clarity, and comfort.
She’s not alone. The gaming community is filled with people who return to their favorites not for challenge but for peace. For familiarity. For that warm, nostalgic feeling that tells you you’re safe, even just for a little while.
So, next time someone tries to clown you for replaying Wind Waker or firing up Skyrim for the 87th time, just say this:
“If it’s good enough for Evanescence, it’s good enough for me.”
Because sometimes, a controller and a good story are exactly what your heart needs.
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The Green Bay Packers wrapped up their 2025 NFL preseason on Saturday with an impressive 20-7 win against the Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field. The game did not start positively for the Packers, with quarterback Malik Willis throwing an interception in the contest’s opening series. But Green Bay’s defense held up right after, forcing a punt before Willis led a scoring drive that ended in a touchdown grab by wide receiver Romeo Doubs. It was nearly all Packers the rest of the way, with Green Bay’s defense forcing four turnovers and holding Seattle to just 2-of-13 on third downs. Green Bay Packers LB continues to gain attention ahead of the 2025 NFL season Among those who stood out for the Packers’ stop unit against the Seahawks was linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper. The third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by Green Bay posted three total tackles (all solo) and also had one of the Packers’ five sacks on Seattle quarterback Jalen Milroe. Hopper’s strong play was reflective of the praise he’s been getting from the Packers in the offseason. "Hop’s done a really nice job," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said on Aug. 19 (h/t Zach Kruse of Packers Wire). "He’s shown a ton of improvement really in every facet of his game, on defense, on we-fense (what the Packers call special teams). Certainly, we always knew he was going to be a physical presence, you could see that going back to his college tape. He’s got a better understanding of what is required of him for that position, he’s got a great understanding of our defense and he’s gone out there and put together a lot of solid performances." Following the Seahawks game, LaFleur reiterated his admiration for Hopper, who played college football with the Florida Gators and Missouri Tigers. "I would say he’s one of our most improved players from a year ago," LaFleur said, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "I think he’s done an outstanding job." LaFleur’s claim should further bolster Hopper’s confidence in his chances to make Green Bay’s final 53-man roster cut.
The Las Vegas Raiders made a big change this offseason in an attempt to change their fortunes, hiring longtime Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll to come in and change the culture in Sin City. Carroll’s attitude and energy is already permeating the building in Las Vegas as training camp winds down and the focus begins to narrow on the start of the regular season, but it didn’t take long in the offseason for the former Super Bowl Champion head coach to start bringing in his guys to set the standard. The biggest of those additions, of course, was quarterback Geno Smith. The Raiders acquired the veteran signal caller, fresh off of a successful couple of seasons in Seattle, in a trade this offseason. Smith spot as the starting quarterback is safe in the silver and black, but what the team looks like around him is still a work in progress. Las Vegas has a pair of young cornerstones to build around on offense in Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers, but there are still some holes on the defensive side of the football. At the moment, the Raiders have a rough idea of what the starting group could look like heading into Week 1 against the New England Patriots in Week 1 on Sept. 7. However, nothing is set in stone. Here are a pair of players who could be surpassed on the depth chart between now and the season opener. DT Jonah Laulu Jonah Laulu is listed as a starter coming into his second season after making seven starts for the Raiders in 2024. The Oklahoma product was a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and now it looks like Pete Carroll will be relying on him a lot coming into 2025 to eat some snaps in the middle. Laulu should be able to do just that, but Tyree Wilson could give the Raiders a lot more upside from that spot especially on passing downs. Wilson was originally drafted as an edge rusher with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he has been getting a lot of reps on the inside this preseason. Wilson is listed at 6-foot-5, 263 pounds and is an explosive athlete with great strength. He hasn’t been able to find consistent production so far in his career, but maybe Carroll is the coach he needs to be able to do just that. The Raiders already have a pair of standouts at defensive end in Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce, so there is no room for Wilson to earn a starting job on the outside. However, keep an eye out on him getting some interior reps against pass-heavy teams or on late downs ahead of someone like Laulu. LB Devin White When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl back in 2021, Devin White looked like a future superstar at linebacker. The tandem of him and Lavonte David was one of the best in all of football, and the former LSU star was viewed as one of the best young players in the league at his position. Since then, things haven’t gone how White would have envisioned. Tampa Bay let him go following the 2023 season and he landed with the Houston Texans in 2024, but made just seven appearances with one start. White wasn’t very productive during that time, finishing as PFF’s 141st-ranked linebacker against the run out of 189 players. He was better in coverage, but is essentially a sub-package player due to his inability to stop the ground game. If the Raiders are going to play three linebackers, and the third is going to be primarily a coverage defender next to Elandon Roberts and Germaine Pratt, why not give Jamal Adams a look? Adams is a converted safety who is now listed as an outside linebacker with the Raiders, and he has plenty of familiarity with Carroll’s system dating back to his time with the Seattle Seahawks. He has struggled in coverage a bit in recent years as injuries have taken some of his explosiveness away, but playing closer to the line of scrimmage should hide some of those limitations and let him be a downhill player. Playing Adams at linebacker especially in sub packages would give the Raiders some more athleticism and better instinctive play, which it will need to compete in the loaded AFC West division. As a result, this is a switch that would make a lot of sense before Week 1.
Green Bay Packers addressed their precarious depth on the offensive line by trading for Darian Kinnard on Sunday, two days before roster cuts. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Packers are sending a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Kinnard, who has played in three games in his career and started once last season. Will the presence of Kinnard help the Packers win the Super Bowl? Kinnard was a fifth-round pick by the Chiefs in 2022. He played in one game as a rookie as the Chiefs won the Super Bowl. He spent 2023 on the Chiefs’ practice squad as they won another Super Bowl. At the end of the 2023 season, he signed a futures contract with the Eagles. He played in two games in 2024 as Philadelphia beat Kansas City in the Super Bowl. Kinnard and Ken Norton Jr. are the only players to win three consecutive Super Bowls. “I guess I can say I’m kind of spoiled when it comes to that, three years in, two rings and possibly going for a third,” Kinnard told The New York Post before the Super Bowl. “It’s pretty exciting. Sunday, we’ll figure out which side gets a third.” The Packers emerged from the preseason with shaky depth on the offensive line. Their top six of Rasheed Walker, Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Elgton Jenkins, Sean Rhyan and Zach Tom will be strong, and they have high hopes for 2025 second-round tackle Anthony Belton. Beyond those seven, though, are center/guard Jacob Monk, guard/center Donovan Jennings and tackle/guard Kadeem Telfort. “It’s the NFL. The depth right now for us, it’s not where we want it to be,” offensive line coach Luke Butkus said last week. “I think 31 other teams are saying that same thing. That’s why practices like this vs. Seattle, practices last week where they’re getting some reps, where they’re playing a little bit more in games, that’s valuable for us. A lot of guys have a chance and we’re going to see whether they’re going to step up or not.” Kinnard played 101 snaps in the preseason, with 70 at right guard and 31 at right tackle. PFF charged him with one sack and six pressures allowed. He was not penalized. Last season, he started at right tackle in the meaningless Week 18 game against the Giants. He allowed one sack and three pressures in 43 pass-protecting snaps, according to PFF. “I’ve been so focused on just trying to make it in this league and be a part of something, so I haven’t really sat back and really looked at (my career),” Kinnard said before last year’s Super Bowl against the Chiefs. “It’s really just about what I can do for the team I’m on and being a part of something special. I’m always moment to moment, day to day, practice to practice. I’ve been really focused on trying to do that and be valuable to the team, focusing more on what’s right in front of me rather than looking back.” Kinnard started 39 games at Kentucky. As a senior in 2021, he was a consensus first-team All-American. “He’s a physical guy who could come off the football and move people,” former Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen told The Athletic before the 2022 draft. “He can move people without needing help in the run game. He’s physically imposing. I could see him transitioning to guard at the next level because he definitely gave us some thump in the run game.” Before the 2022 draft, he measured 6-foot-5 3/8 and 322 pounds. With poor numbers in the agility drills and jumps, his Relative Athletic Score was 5.32. He was born two months premature but was still 5 pounds. “With it just being my mom and me, I needed to be the man of the house,” Kinnard told Fox Sports before the draft. “I think being [an offensive lineman] was the best fit for me as a protector. It sounds stupid, but the quarterback is like my mother, and [playing offensive line] is like protecting my family.” Kinnard’s aunt is cousins with music legend Dolly Parton. Before the 2022 draft, he said they’d never met and he’s not a fan of country music. “I didn’t find out until I was like 17, damn near 18, that she was my third cousin or fourth cousin,” Kinnard said in The Post story. “Cool story; I was told they both learned to drive together, so that’s pretty cool.” While at Kentucky, he told The Courier-Journal: “It’s kind of cool. I grew up going to Dollywood and stuff like that, but I never really go around saying my cousin is Dolly Parton. … I just go about my business and focus on doing what I have to do.”
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell offered a harsh assessment of one of his players following Saturday's preseason game against the Houston Texans. The Lions rested most of their starters in their 26-7 loss, which gave their reserve players one last chance to audition for a spot on the 53-man roster. Former Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker failed to capitalize on that opportunity. Hooker, whom the Lions drafted in the third round in 2023, played all but two offensive series for Detroit against the Texans. He finished 6-of-11 passing with no touchdowns and an interception. He also had a 25-yard rush. Following the game, Campbell bluntly suggested that Hooker may need a fresh start elsewhere. "How much development do you believe there is? We’re talking about Hooker right now, how much development do you believe there still is?" Campbell asked reporters, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "Sometimes, does the player need a change of scenery?" Campbell did, however, acknowledge that Hooker was at a disadvantage by not playing with the first-team offense. "I wish Hooker -- and I know he does -- would have had a better outing, but you’ve got to take it with a grain of salt," Campbell said. "It’s not like he was playing with our first o-line out there, or first team skill position, all of that. You take that all into account as well. I thought he was prepared, I thought he was ready, looked pretty calm, and circumstances didn’t work out today, that’s all." Kyle Allen has secured the primary backup QB job behind Jared Goff. While Hooker could remain with the Lions on their practice squad, it seems almost certain that the team is going to waive him and give him a chance to sign elsewhere. The Lions obviously believed in Hooker's potential when they used a third-round pick on him, but things have not panned out the way they had hoped.